No. 1: A Reading Guide

by Stephen Morrison

It's no secret that my first work of fiction, No. 1, is a bit of an enigma. Anyone who sets out to read it may be perplexed or perhaps even annoyed. It's an odd book, but something I couldn't help myself to write. I loved writing it. And I still think it's a great book, something I find myself re-visiting regularly to enjoy. But here I wanted to put together a reading guide for the perplexed, not to explain everything, because I think the search is a part of the fun; instead, this guide will give an overview of some of the major themes, motifs, and influences, as well as a clear explanation of the story-line. You don't need to have read the book already to benefit from this guide, because it also acts as a kind of introduction to the book, encouraging you to take the leap into the strange new world of No. 1 I've tried to craft. At the end I offer an extended preview of the book for this reason.

Key terms: James Joyce, John Cage, Samuel Beckett, William Shakespeare, experimental literature, musical literature, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, artistic literature, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, avant garde literature.

32 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2016

Reviews

[Tim Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woo hoo!!!

Read read read! So helpful to give you a 'look behind the scenes' as see how much thought went into the book itself.

[Tim Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew it was something extra special the moment I got my hands on a copy. It looks amazing and once you start to unpack what the story is about, it's incredibly creative.
Certainly not your usual novel - think James Joyce rather than James Bond. But it's a type of modernism I have been able to finish - and enjoyed immensely.
In places it's very funny.

For some, I'd imagine it's not their cup of tea. Equally, it has the potential to be a modern day classic.

Amazing!

As the owner of the first copy sold by the author, signed too, I wonder what it might be worth in the future!